VFF urges state-wide rates review

Victoria's peak farm group says it is renewing a push for a state-wide rates review because huge rate bills are becoming unsustainable.

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says an average-size dryland farm at Manangatang is now charged about $11,000 a year in rates, compared to about $3,500 for a business in Swan Hill city.

The VFF has started an online survey to gauge rating inequities around the state.

President Peter Tuohey says the problem is worse around regional cities like Bendigo, with high land values.

"We often talk to councillors and they often don't even realise the difference in the amount of rates some people in the shires are paying, so certainly a review will address a lot of those issues and once we have a review we can start working on a solution," he said.

He says additional funding for councils needs to come from state and federal governments.

"We don't really want to push extra rates onto residents because we believe that's unfair, particularly a lot of towns have a lot of aged residents, so I don't think that would go down at all well," he said.

"So I think we need to find and deliver a solution to the funding source and that would make a lot of difference."